Produced at the height of the war –I’m surprised any whiskey was available. Rationing was in effect for all commodities, Food [grains] going to feed our troops & for England, , alcohol going to the munition factories to make smokeless powder.. Prohibition ended shortly before the war — no time to build up stock piles of aged American Whiskeys.. 75% “neutral grain spirits” [vodka] blended with what? No details are given about the age or the type of whiskey that is the other 25% Probably just as well. This product would have been similar in taste to a quality moonshine. Perhaps less likely to be poisonous.

Charlene says: June 21, 20116:19 am

I love how the slogan and illustration have no connection whatsoever to the product. That’s probably for the best, given how inappropriate jokes about gassing would become within the year.

In the 1930s and 40s Kessler’s was sold by Seagram’s, it is still sold today and is owned by Fortune Brands. It sells for about $8 a bottle at finer convenience stores and gas stations. Really today it is made from 50% grain spirits and 50% whiskey so they call it a ‘blended’ whiskey. A true blended whiskey is blended from different distillations to achieve a uniform taste.

It sounds as if they’re inveighing against the use of nitrous oxide as a recreational drug (and saying you should drink booze instead). Do I have that right?

Toronto says: June 22, 201112:51 pm

GaryM: “Gassing” was a slang term for talking / gabbing / etc. I think they were just playing on that with “gossip gas.” Plus it leads to a rhyme for “silly ass”.

I can’t imagine “laughing gas” was ever as popular as booze, prohibition or otherwise.

Hirudinea says: June 22, 20112:20 pm

@Toronto – They did use to get drunk from drinking ether, it has a similar effect to alcohol without the hangover but its never been that popular because it burns if you drink it straight and the best way to drink is to mix it with alcohol, so whats the point.

John says: June 22, 20112:33 pm

Hirudinea » This is all irrelevant since the term gassing did refer to people talking.Drinking ether was an 1800’s thing in any case. Since it turned to a gas at body temperature the preferred method was to drink a glass of cold water followed by a shot of ether (which since it was a liquid wouldn’t be called gassing)

Regarding gossip and spies, we have to remember that it was considered a no-no by some (especially the Government) to carelessly speak of certain things during WW2, such as military movements and such. There might have been German or Japanese spies about, who’d hear some loose-lipped Yank blabbing and report it.